Preventive Ways To Keep Mold Out Of Your Home This Winter
Friday, December 13th, 2019
It’s winter season again. And that means that the chances of mold growing within your home are quite high at this time of the year. Remember that mold can remain dormant for months only to sprout again once the right conditions present themselves. This means that your home is especially vulnerable to mold infestation if you’ve had a mold issue at any point within the year. In this article, learn what you can do to ensure that mold does not make a comeback in your space this winter.
Ensure proper ventilation of all your indoor spaces
One of the biggest actions you can take against mold this winter is to ensure that your spaces are well ventilated. And this applies to all spaces including the bedrooms. In winter, warm indoor air is highly likely to condense into moisture due to the colder temperatures outside. Ventilation allows this warmer air to get out and thereby prevent condensation from taking place. Open your windows every day and use your fan if you have one. Using a fan in your bathrooms would be especially handy since that is where most of the moisture is likely to build up.
Keep the heat on if leaving your property for the holidays
Planning to leave the house for a few days as you go on holiday or travel to visit your family and friends? Extended periods of dormancy in winter can allow temperatures inside your home to drop significantly. This can cause humidity and moisture levels to rise – staples of mold growth. To keep this from happening, leave the heat on inside your house. Even a moderate amount of heat in your home while away can make a big difference.
Have your roof checked for leaks
During winter the roofs get cold and accumulate snow and sleet. If there are leaks at any point on your roof, moisture will seep through and travel down to your attic, walls, and even floors. Such moisture penetration has a high probability of causing mold growth. To avoid that, have your roof checked for leaks. Also make sure to clear your gutters and downpipes to ensure proper flow of water out of your roof and away from your house.
Use a dehumidifier
Humidity levels inside your home can rise gradually during winter due to various factors such as condensation of hot indoor air and lack of proper ventilation. Using a humidifier is a great way to safeguard your home against this threat. Keep your humidity levels below 35% and you should be safe against the threat of mold.
Waterproof your basement and install a dehumidify
The basement is a big casualty in the war against mold. That’s because it is prone to rising dampness from the ground. If your basement suffers from dampness, have it waterproofed by professionals. It might also be a good idea to install a dehumidifier there permanently. And of course, keep the area well ventilated.
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